Screen
13 November 2009
View all stories from this issue.
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A route to funding
Rebecca O’Brien, Ken Loach’s long-time producer, says raising film financing in the UK has became complicated and expensive. She talks to Sarah Cooper about why she turned to France to fund Loach’s latest project, Route Irish. -
Animals
A coming of age fantasy tale in the vein of Donnie Darko. -
Arts Alliance Media signs UK digital deal with Reel Cinemas
European digital provider Arts Alliance Media (AAM) has signed an agreement with UK regional exhibitor Reel Cinemas to digitise all 60 of Reel’s screens. -
Balada Triste De Trompeta
The film centres on two clowns in love with the same trapeze artist at a Spanish circus. -
Beating Up
2009 has been a landmark year for animation and, as if to reflect that, the feature animation Oscar category is swelling to the full five nominations for the first time since 2002. -
Betsy And The Emperor
Tells the story of the last few years in Napoleon’s life on the island of Saint Helena where he had a relationship with a 14 year old British girl. -
Blackthorn
James Blackthorn (alias Butch Cassidy) raises horses in Bolivia, but is dying and wants to return to the US. Along the way he crosses paths with a young Spanish mining engineer accused of robbing a mine, and the two slowly strike up a friendship. -
Bright Star
Dir: Jane Campion. Aus/Fr/UK. 2009. -
Bruc
A Catalan drummer boy retreats to the high sierra to escape Napoleon’s army, but then manages to almost singlehandedly defeat them. -
Bunker
A Spanish musician is commissioned to direct the Bogota Opera House, but when he brings over his girlfriend to Bogota, she disappears. -
CinemaNX strikes partnership with Warner Bros, Vue, Tesco, NX Distribution
Warner Bros, cinema chain Vue, retailer Tesco and NX Distribution is working with the producer/financier CinemaNX to promote Richard Linklater’s upcoming drama Me And Orson Welles in the UK. -
Dakota
Spaniard Joan Fuster lives in New York and has an accident, after which he can then suddenly foresee events, including a mass murder and his wife having an affair. This surreal comedy mixes dream sequences and reality. -
Di Di Hollywood
The second film of a trilogy about women trying to improve their lowly existence. -
E1 Entertainment appoints Dieckman to head film licensing
E1 Entertainment has appointed Ami Dieckman as licensing manager for its film brands. -
Edward Woodward dies aged 79
Veteran actor Edward Woodward, most famous for his role in the cult 1973 horror film The Wicker Man, has died aged 79 years old. -
German nationwide digital exhibition plan in tatters
An all-industry solution for a nationwide digital roll-out in German cinemas has stalled after the UCI Kinowelt cinema chain refused to withdraw its legal action against the German Federal Film Board (FFA). -
Heroes
Tells the story of a busy executive who looks back on his childhood in the 1980s when his life was full of love and adventure. -
Hitman
A terminally ill assassin is sent on a mission to kill a Colombian drugs smuggler living in Mumbai, India. -
Knight & Day
Action-comedy about a fugitive couple on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure across the globe, with their survival hinging on the battle of Truth vs. Trust. -
Le Pacte finds international homes for Ozon’s Le Refuge
Jean Labadie’s Paris-based sales and distribution outfit Le Pacte has racked up a raft of international sales on Francois Ozon’s Le Refuge. -
Life after Slumdog
Without an obvious juggernaut such as Slumdog Millionaire, this year’s Bafta race looks far from predictable, says Allan Hunter of an awards ceremony that aims to recognise both UK and international talent -
Local titles vie for market share
On the eve of Italy’s distribution networking event Industry Days (Nov 30-Dec 4), Sheri Jennings looks at the challenges facing Italian films at the local box office. -
Lourdes scoops Gold Giraldillo for best film at Seville
Jessica Hausner’s Lourdes won the Gold Giraldillo for best film at the Seville Film Festival, which closed on Saturday (November 14). -
Love Happens
Dir: Brandon Camp. US. 2008. -
Mid August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto)
Dir: Gianni Di Gregorio. Italy. 2009. -
Midday Sun
Midday Sun is a thriller about an English couple, Dan and Sarah, who move to Spain, but their son is murdered soon after they arrive and a local boy is charged and released, but then dies suspiciously in a hit and run for which Dan is wrongly blamed. -
Moving the mindset
The new distribution landscape demands a fresh approach from film-makers to marketing their work and to communicating with their potential audience -
New cast announced as The King’s Speech starts shooting
Helena Bonham Carter, Jennifer Ehle, Guy Pearce, Derek Jacobi and Michael Gambon have joined the cast of Tom Hooper’s historical drama The King’s Speech, which started shooting today (November 13). -
Off rollercoaster but still reeling
Striking producers, swine flu and the recession have taken their toll on the Hindi film industry this year. Does 2010 look any better? -
Optimum boards new project from Kidulthood director
Optimum Releasing has acquired the UK rights to Kidulthood director Menhaj Huda’s horror film Comedown, which will begin shooting in London in March 2010. -
Optimum/Pinewood to manage StudioCanal’s British film archive
Optimum Releasing is taking over management of StudioCanal’s British Library Archive, including early Hitchcock films, as part of a series of initiatives aimed at protecting British film heritage. -
Panning for Precious metal
The 2009-2010 awards season has begun in earnest with only a few much-anticipated films yet to be seen and some front-runners finally emerging. -
Paper Birds
A film that narrates the adventures of a group of dirt-poor Spanish vaudeville performers in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. -
Park Chan-ok's Paju to open 39th Rotterdam film festival
The International Film Festival Rotterdam has announced that Park Chan-ok’s second feature, Paju, will open the 39th edition on January 27. -
Pragmatism and optimism at AFM
It has been a gruelling year for the independent sector but last week’s American Film Market delivered a much-needed jolt of energy to the industry, with buyers quick to snap up top-end product. Jeremy Kay takes the temperature in Santa Monica -
Protagonist Pictures closes further sales on Wild Target
UK sales outfit Protagonist Pictures has announced a raft of new sales on Magic Light Pictures’ comedy Wild Target. -
Pyke promoted at DDA
London-based Bronwyn Pyke has been promoted to vice president, public relations, at London and Los-Angeles-based PR firm DDA, it was announced today (November 18). -
Rise of the new power hubs
As Hollywood studios begin to crumble, a new breed of media company that is rooted in its local market but has an eye for the smart international deals is rising. -
Spain's Rodar Y Rodar to make English-language comedy
Barcelona-based production outfit Rodar Y Rodar is set to produce the romantic screwball comedy The Barcelona Connection with the UK’s Maravilla Pictures and US-based Blue Engine Entertainment. -
Starsuckers
Dir: Chris Atkins. UK. 2009. -
The Boat That Rocked (Pirate Radio)
Dir: Richard Curtis. UK. 2008. -
The Perfect Assassin
This drama, set during Spain’s 1936-39 Civil War, focuses on Republican and Nationalist hit squads banding together to kill politician Don Rojo. -
The Red Shoes to open Soundtrack Film and Music Festival
The second Soundtrack International Film and Music Festival will open with a special screening of the newly restored Oscar-winning classic The Red Shoes on November 18. -
The White Ribbon
Dir: Michael Haneke. Aus/Ger/Fr/It. 2009. -
There Be Dragons
A journalist investigates Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer, controversial founder of Opus Dei, but discovers his own estranged father’s disturbing connection to the man. -
Thessaloniki’s Balkan Fund honours three films with screen development grant
Three European features will receive $15,000 (€10,000) in grants for script development from the Balkan Fund. -
UK welcomes Harry Brown, The Man From London in Germany
ScreenDaily takes a look at the local and independent openings in key markets this week. -
UKFC announces sweeping reorganisation, new production fund
The UK Film Council (UKFC) is proposing to merge its Premiere, New Cinema and Development funds to create a $25m (£15m) Film Production Fund, as part of a major overhaul of the organisation following its $41.9m (£25m) budget cut. -
Vanishing Of The Bees
Dir: George Langworthy, Maryam Henein. UK. 2009. -
Verbo
A dark thriller exploring the difficult life of a troubled teen. -
Vertigo and E1 extend home entertainment partnership
Vertigo Films and E1 Entertainment has extended their home entertainment partnership. The first title to be released under the renewed deal will be Louie Psihoyos’ The Cove. -
Weekly international box office – November 13
Screen brings you the weekly international box-office news. -
Wide Pictures picks up major US titles for Spain
Spanish distributor Wide Pictures had a busy AFM taking distribution rights to several major US films, including Robert Redford’s The Company You Keep and David Schwimmer’s Trust, starring Clive Owen.
